


We rust and breathe again

by Nova_Moshi



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Game)
Genre: Does Ghost's Shade not have a tag, Hornet best big sister for 2019, also there's minor gore but its not enough for a warning, or maybe it does and I just can't find it, these siblings need more love y'all ok
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-10-05 12:21:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17324909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nova_Moshi/pseuds/Nova_Moshi
Summary: Ghost's Shade doesn't quite like how they aren't resting with their siblings.





	We rust and breathe again

**Author's Note:**

> Ghost is a precious child that needs all the help they can get- let them and Hornet be happy Team Cherry is that too much to ask for

_**Let me out let me out let me out LET ME OUT LET ME OUT OUTOUTOUT** _

Ghost sighed, clutching their mask in a near death grip.

_Shade please…_

For the past five or so hours, their Shade had been non stop yelling and screeching to be let free. The darkened spirit inside of them was not happy, not one bit, and with nothing else to do they let out that pent up spiteful hatred on the poor little Ghost.

They were just trying to make it into Deepnest, there was a warrior spirit there that needed to be put to rest. They were dedicated to make sure all those spirits slept well, but the journey was putting them on pins and needles. Literally as well.

Deepnest wasn't the most pleasant place in Hallownest, it could quite possibly be considered the _scariest._ Which is why Ghost was trying to best the spirit so they could quickly leave and pursue other things.

It didn't help that everywhere they turned there was a creature trying to eat them, not one bit helpful that they were oh so tired, and that this Shade would _not leave them be._

_**LET ME FREE LET ME OUT LET ME-** _

In a single twitching movement Ghost channeled their soul and let out a piercing abyss shriek.

Any creature in the area was sent running, and for a clarific moment, all was quiet in the tightly packed caverns. The impact had them reeling, and Ghost thought that they had brought deafness upon themself, but like all things, time started moving again.

Except for their Shade, the shriek had silenced them. For now.

The little Ghost would be calling themselves a liar if someone implied they weren't relieved. Ever since they had traveled to their birthplace- a sacred place that all their siblings rested inside- their Shade would wail and demand that they go back. To lie in the carnage of family not seen. To waste away and become one with the Void of which they were made of.

Their Shade wanted peace, a resting place, _a release_ from the hell that was their existence.

And as much as Ghost deep down inside longed for that rest as well, they couldn't simply kneel over dead. This kingdom, whether its inhabitants knew it or not, was relying on them. To best the infection, and heal what their unfortunate older sibling could not. The weight on their body was too grand, too...too significant for them to lie down and just embrace death.

Not yet, there was too much unfinished business.

Teetering along, Ghost looked down at their map, tracing the fastest possible route to this spirit. They didn't know much about them, or the past they all had gone through to die in such places, but they felt remorse for such wayward bugs. They were unable to find rest themselves, sealed away with regrets- if not mere pain- being the only constant in their not quite afterlives.

It was a great service to help them, and as such, Ghost understood the need for peaceful rest-

_**I want out** _

Calm, placid.

The sudden voice startled them out of their reverie, and the small vessel nearly fell into a pit of writhing creatures, just barely inches above their snapping, viscous maws.

_**Let me free let me free I want my rest** _

They weren't yelling, and that scared them beyond mere words could convey.

_No...no we fight spirit._

_**You rest I rest we rest together** _

Ghost once more took hold of their own mask, trying to steel nerves they weren't even sure they had. Their Shade's voice was scratching and scraping against their mind, harsh and quick like a whip.

_**We rest below** _

_NO-no no we rest later-_

_**We rest NOW NOW NOW** _

Ghost lurched forward, a breathless scream ripping itself from their throat. Pulsating, pushing against their shell- the Shade was trying to break free themselves- sharp enraged tendrils of Void seeped from their eye sockets, clawing the air around them in a desperate plea of escape. Ghost trembled furiously on the ground, unable to move from the sheer amount of _pain_ their Shade was eliciting upon them.

_Shade stop Shade stop-!_

_**LET ME OUT LET ME OUT** _

The vessel could barely register its own movements, everything in their body was taunt, ready to snap at any moment. They felt cramped, the other being inside them trying to explode out of their skull-

The Ghost knew their own nail plunged inside their eye in the next moment.

□□□

The pain was infuriating.

The little Ghost bowed respectfully to Galien, their spirit finally finding the rest they deserved. The fight had been a tough one, but they succeeded nonetheless, just albeit more worse for wear than when they entered.

The physical pain their body wielded could not compare to their mental pain. In retaliation to the knights attempt to silence the Shade, it began toiling over in its skull, laying a permanent fog over their thought process- and making so many simple things-

Ghost lurched over on the spot as they nearly tumbled down a ledge.

-like walking for example, a dangerous act in and of itself. 

They were so tired, physically and emotionally. Yet they couldn't bring it upon themselves to hate their Shade, it just wanted to rest. Rest that they were giving the spirits, but lacking themselves.

But the worst part was the shrieking.

The void, their Shade, _everything_ seemed to be yelling loud enough for the damned to hear. Their misty mind was filled to the brim with it, and the little Ghost could swear they heard it echoing off the cave walls. A long, bloodcurdling scream that never ended.

All because they would not lie down.

_Shade….stop…_

_**We rest I stop** _

Ghost hesitantly dropped down from the edge, landing unceremoniously on the cold ground below.

They could not find the energy to stand.

The world was starting to blur together, sound and feeling becoming one.

Would it hurt to rest just a minute? _Just for a minute…_

Only for….a minute…

“Little Ghost?”

That sound, a sound so beautifully sharp.

“Stand little Ghost.”

A commanding tone, a beautifully sharp commanding tone.

A new pain formed on the top of their head, one that gave the vessel an ungodly burst of strength. In a split second they were on their knees- still trembling- and looked up at Hornet with what could only be known as relief.

Their sibling had her needle in hand, apparently having used it to smack their head. “Why are you lying on the ground so? You do not look injured.”

Ghost let their eyes train on her weapon. 

_**We can rest** _

Hornet bent down to their height, angling their chin to look up at her. “Look at me Ghost,”

Thoughts were trying to push their way through the fog. Thoughts that, if Hornet were able to read, she would certainly smack them for again.

_**Yes yes** _

Although it would not be unwelcome…

“Ghost!”

They snapped their attention back to her, using their wobbly arms to push themselves into a more comfortable position. The Shade was still howling in their mind.

Her hand did not leave from under their mask. “What has happened to you? You are usually more attentive than this…”

Ghost glanced at her needle again, a simple thought fighting it's way through the fog.

_Gut._

Oh how they wished she would just _gut_ them, if only so that this infuriating Shade could wail no longer.

The little Ghost stood, their eyes never leaving her needle. 

_**Rest rest rest** _

They could tell Hornet was becoming increasingly confused. Her free hand moved from under their chin to rest, somewhat awkwardly, on their shoulder.

“You do not seem in any condition to tread anywhere little Ghost. You should rest before you do something disastrous.”

_Oh Hornet…_

Ghost gripped her hand with the needle, and brought it up between the two of them.

“Ghost? What do you think you're-”

_SLICHK._

□□□

“Ghost!” Hornet hopped away quicker than she thought possible. Nearly paralyzed at the sight of her sibling stabbing her own needle through their throat, a pool of blood and void spilling from the wound in worrying lengths.

They fell almost immediately afterwards.

Before Hornet could make a move to help them, a shadow rose from the corpse, a near perfect resemblance of Ghost, stretching out its darkened tendrils.

_**Free free I am free** _

The scraping of its voice in her mind only made Hornet flinch an inch, but the dread that settled inside her constituted a shiver.

“...You're a shade.” She murmured, voice barely above a whisper.

The Shade turned in her direction, tilting its head. 

_**Hornet stop me cannot stop me I rest I rest I rest** _

It knew her name, of course it knew her name.

Hornet pulled her needle back, trying not to think about the sickening _squelch_ as it was ripped from her siblings’ insides, and stared level headed at the Shade.

“Ghost was not thinking properly. I assume you were the cause.” She narrowed her eyes, gripping her needle tight.

_**Weak weak weak we rest we rest do not stop do not stop me** _

“Ghost is far from weak!” Hornet surprised herself with her words. She took a step forward and growled, “They are the hope for this kingdom, and they will not be put off course because their unconcerned spirit wants _rest._ ” She spat that last part, closing the distance between her and Ghost's Shade in one long stride.

The Shade drew its nail, posed to strike her.

_**NO NO NO NO I HAVE REST I WILL NOT GIVE IT UP** _

Hornet could care less about what this Shade wanted. It was not Ghost, it had no say in anything pertaining to their life. Despite its stance the ethereal being was not ready when she striked, faster than it could see, faster than anybody could react to.

It reeled back and shrieked, firing off a piece of itself as a vengeful spirit to try and deter her.

But Hornet was not about to entertain any of this.

“You will not have your rest, and you _will_ return to Ghost!” She let out a battle cry and clashed with the spirit, their weapons hitting in a spark of light.

All the while being careful not to tread on Ghost's broken mask.

□□□

Their head was splitting itself in two.

If Ghost had a voice, they surely would have let out a strangled sound as they came to, a pain the magnitude of an earthquake seizing their body in waves.

_My body….?_

They looked down at themself, surprised to see a whole body there, and not just the cracked remnants of their skull. 

What had happened? And more importantly, where were they?

There were webs aligning the dimly lit walls...and the floors...and the ceiling-

“You've woken up, good.” The voice caused them to whip around. “I was starting to believe you'd sleep for even longer.”

Hornet was a sight for sore eyes, and against their body's will the little Ghost sat up and attempted to get to her, wanting nothing more than to jump into her arms and be hugged-

Almost instantly they were pushed back down, and Hornet gave them an authoritative look that said _don't try me._

“You are to lay down little Ghost. Your wounds have not fully healed, and reopening them now would be a poor decision.” Hornet lessened her grip once she was sure they were complying. “I would tell you to go back sleeping, but I am curious…”

She pushed herself up and sat by them, her stance not at all relaxed. “What in the King's name pushed you to harm yourself in such a way?”

It all rushed back then. Their Shade's relentless screaming, the fight, their will slipping as they almost fell into sleep...stabbing themselves with the needle...

Ah yes, the golden question Ghost hoped they could avoid.

The vessel turned their head away from Hornet, feeling….sadness? No...shame rise up in their chest. How could they ever explain such a thing…?

By now, Hornet would have usually snapped at them for taking so long to answer, but she was being uncharacteristically quiet. Her eyes searched the knight, and it made them feel oh so terribly exposed.

_Shade hurt….tired and hurt….wanted rest._

“I could see that. They certainly did not want to be dragged back inside of you.”

Ghost finally dared to make eye contact with their sister, only to flinch back when they noticed the cacophony of emotions swirling in her eyes. Anger, hatred, annoyance...concern.

_Sorry Hornet….wanted it to stop. Wanted Shade to stop._

When she made no move to make a response, Ghost continued, their shoulders starting to shake.

_Wanted screaming to stop, wanted it all to stop. Shade hurt, world hurt, all hurt hurt hurt hurt hurt hurt-_

Her hands gripped theirs tightly as they started pulling at their horns. “Do not further injure yourself.”

Ghost shuddered, leaning into their sister's side and burrowing their face into the soft fabric of her dress. It was enough of a surprise to make her loosen her grip, and Ghost quickly wrapped their arms around her midsection.

_Sorry sorry sorry it hurt bad. Wanted it to STOP sorry Hornet sorry…._

They couldn't comprehend this sadness that plagued them. There was nothing to be sad over, and yet the little Ghost felt that if they let go of Hornet they would slip away into that deep dark sea of sadness and never return.

A hand was rested on their head, while another slightly picked them up and placed them on her lap. Hornet carefully, gingerly pet them, being more than cautious not to agitate their healing head wound. 

“It's alright, Ghost of Hallownest. You are safe here, and I will not allow that Shade to bring harm upon you.” Hornet’s voice was soft, a comfort the knight didn't know they needed until now.

A beautiful, comforting tone that could only come from their sister.

They curled into her softness and comfort and _relaxed._ Letting the stress and dull pains ebb away from their form. They were safe here with Hornet, they were at peace….

And finally getting the rest they and their Shade both deserved.


End file.
